There are many ways to support the needs of the community through the CentraCare Health Foundation. Here are examples of a few unique and creative ways people have chosen to give:

Real Estate Gifts

Did you know there are tax benefits for donating real estate to the CentraCare Health Foundation? A real estate gift leaves a lasting legacy that supports programs and services of your choice while providing you a charitable tax benefit for the value of the property. The CentraCare Health Foundation recently received two real estate gifts (both buildings in St. Cloud), one from Dr. Michael and Kendra Flanagan and another from William and Karen Young. The Foundation created two funds with the value of the properties:

The Flanagan Family Fund helps patients served by Gorecki Guest House, Recovery Plus and St. Cloud Hospital’s Family Birthing Unit

The Granite City Dental Lab – William and Karen Young Fund helps patients and families served by Coborn Cancer Center and Clara’s House.

Donations for New Amenities

Years ago, when Dr. Ben and Kari Nemeth gave birth to their twin boys at St. Cloud Hospital, there wasn’t a place for their older son to play. This inspired them to donate funds to create the Nemeth Family Playroom, which today is a special place designed just for kids. The Nemeth family initially donated $25,000 to create the playroom and recently donated another $25,000 that was used to refurbish and restock it with new child-friendly interactive tools. The playroom has become an important part of the pediatrics unit and is a favorite space for visiting kids as well as siblings of children who are being cared for at St. Cloud Hospital.

Matching Funds

When Pat Lynch, President of Granite Logistics, learned that CentraCare Health was considering new and innovative ways to help heart and vascular patients, he wanted to help. So Pat’s team at Granite Logistics generously matched $100,000 in donations during CentraCare Health Foundation’s 2015 Community Campaign, which are benefiting the CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center.

Today, the funds are being used for services that insurance doesn’t cover, such as iPads for remote monitoring for heart failure patients, as well as routine depression and anxiety screenings for heart and vascular patients.

“We believe in CentraCare, which is so vital to Central Minnesota,” said Lynch. “We’re honored to support their work in a way that benefits people living in our communities.”

Personal Fundraisers

Gary Marsden recently organized a cribbage tournament to benefit Karlie’s Fund for Reach Out & Read, a program that provides books to young children in hopes of encouraging reading. Marsden gathered his fishing friends for an evening of cards and cribbage, which raised $5,250 that was donated to help offset the cost of purchasing books. Through the program, books are given to children, ages 6 months to 5 years, by CentraCare Clinic’s pediatric providers during every well-child clinic visit.

Generosity Fosters Excellence

Your dollars are used in community programs much like this one.

See More Foundation Stories

For people living in Central Minnesota, it’s encouraging to know there are more than 7,000 cancer survivors who have received treatment and support from St. Cloud Hospital’s Coborn Cancer Center. And it’s exciting to know there are plans to develop a new facility that will offer everything patients and family members need once cancer treatment is complete.

While spring in Minnesota can bring unpredictable weather, one thing you can count on every April is a crowd of enthusiastic participants ready to take part in the Earth Day Run Weekend activities. This year was no different as more than 4,000 runners and walkers packed the streets of St. Cloud, making it one of the biggest race weekends in the event’s history.

Healthcare is about to change in two central Minnesota communities as new medical campuses are taking shape in both Long Prairie and Melrose. From a distance, they look like massive construction projects, but dig deeper and you’ll find what makes these facilities special is the community efforts that are helping make these dreams reality.

CentraCare Health Foundation hosted its annual La Gratitude celebration on October 29, 2015. The event honored the generous donors from the past year and recognized three donors with awards for their dedication and commitment to the CentraCare Health Foundation: